Dependence on petroleum and continued carbon emissions have led to a focus on methods of utilizing a large supply of biomass, such as non-fossilized biomass in the form of grasses, trees, and agricultural residue as alternative energy sources [1]. However, biomass, including fossilized biomass (e.g., petroleum), presents a significant processing challenge, because it is a complex mixture of biopolymers of low energy density dispersed across the countryside. Biomass is typically used to produce synthesis gas (syngas), which, in turn, is used to produce synthetic fuels. Current methods to process biomass, such as fast pyrolysis or gasification, are complicated, slow, and require significant transportation to the processing location [2, 3].
Direct thermochemical conversion of biomass to a single clean stream of syngas is an attractive route for producing syngas without significant pre-processing of the biomass required. However, this process lacks an effective catalytic method that is easily scalable and sufficiently simple for coupling to standard reforming practices. Syngas can easily be converted into diesel fuel through the Fischer Tropsch process or to methanol or dimethyl ether, allowing high efficiency end use in modern diesel engines without significant changes in the current transportation infrastructure [4]. While the thermochemical route to syngas benefits from its ability to convert a solid mixture of biopolymers,
Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods to produce syngas.